Poll: Should all Irish taxis have to accept card payments?

THE HOTELS LOBBY has called on transport officials to make card payments obligatory for Irish taxis as part of a suite of measures to bring the sector up to international standards.

As revealed by Fora, the Irish Hotels Federation has been lobbying the National Transport Authority to lift standards in the taxi industry, whose drivers it described as “ambassadors for their country”.

Among other recommendations on issues like uniforms and taxi livery, the IHF called for compulsory credit and debit card facilities to be part of the “basic service” provided to passengers.

It argued this would make taxis more convenient, particularly for business travellers, as the public moved away from cash payments, while also potentially boosting business for taxi firms.

But the National Private Hire & Taxi Association accused the IHF of “interfering” with the industry, adding that card payments would result in extra costs for taxi businesses if they couldn’t pass on transaction fees to passengers.

With that in mind, we’re asking Fora readers this week: Should all Irish taxis have to accept card payments?